Happy St. Patrick’s Day!

Although not 100% Irish, I’m about as Irish as they come (red hair and fiery temper… occasionally…)

When I was a kid we visited Ireland and I have strong memories of green, green, and more green. The entire landscape was gorgeous and green, not to mention covered in historic castles. We visited one such castle, Blarney Castle, which houses the famous Blarney Stone. The stone is believed to be half of the
Stone of Scone which originally belonged to Scotland. Scottish Kings were crowned over the stone, because it was believed to have special powers of royal succession. There are innumerable stories and legends about the stone but the most commonly accepted version is that, in gratitude for Irish support at the battle of Bannockburn in 1314 (a Scottish defeat of the English), Robert the Bruce gave a portion of the stone to Cormac McCarthy, King of Munster, who then permanently installed the stone in the battlements of his castle at Blarney.
The legend goes on to say that anyone who succeeds in kissing it is said to earn the gift of persuasive speech, eloquence, and skill at flattery. In other words: the “gift of gab”.

This all sounds just terrific, after all, who doesn’t need to have good communication skills, especially in today’s business world? However, as with many things, there is generally a catch --
the stone is several feet down the side of a parapet within the castle wall. In order to reach the stone, adults sit with their back towards the stone and then someone sits upon their legs or firmly holds their feet as they lean backward and downward into the abyss grasping the iron rails installed in the wall and lowering their body until their head is even with the stone to be kissed. This photo demonstrates the contortionist maneuver required for this feat of daring (this is not me in the photo in case you were wondering!).

Now, I said this is how adults with a death wish accomplish kissing the Blarney Stone. If you recall, I was a child of 10 at the time I visited the castle and I was small for my age. (people call it “petite” but quite honestly, I was just small and short!) SO ~ in order for me to reach the stone, the Keeper of the Castle (a stranger, mind you) took hold of my ankles and without the aid of any security straps or safety nets, dangled me down into the space to kiss the stone. Did I mention that the stone is at the top of the castle, about 90 feet up? Can anyone say, “poor risk management?”

Insurance is designed to protect us against many risks; however, it is important for each of us to manage these risks in order to reduce the potential for loss. Installation of smoke detectors, burglar alarms, and other safety devices (such harnesses to keep your kids from hurtling down the side of a castle) can reduce the damage when it occurs. Maintaining a clean premise that is in good repair and free of debris can reduce liability exposures and help to prevent losses from happening. Better yet, give our agency a call at 308-436-4202 to visit with our knowledgeable agents and complete a Risk Management Checksheet which will help us uncover potential risks of loss so we may be sure to protect the things most important to you.

PS: In case you were wondering, I was able to kiss the stone so with any luck I will be able to apply my “gift of gab” to keep this blog entertaining and informative! Be sure to tune in for more updates.